As a process for producing aromatic compounds, such as benzene, and hydrogen from methane, one is known in which methane is reacted in the presence of a catalyst. As the catalyst on this occasion, molybdenum supported on a ZSM-5 series zeolite is said to be effective (Non-patent Publication 1, Patent Publication 1, and Patent Publication 2). Even in the case of using these catalysts, however, there occur problems that carbon is precipitated in a large amount, and the carbon precipitation causes the catalyst activity to deteriorate in a short time and causes conversion of methane to be low.
In order to improve this problem, there has been a study in which the catalyst is shaped into pellet type, which is usable in a fixed bed type reaction facility, and the proportion of the catalyst component contained in the pellets is increased to achieve an efficient reaction with methane. In the case of the fixed bed reaction type, however, there has been a problem, since it becomes essential to use at least 10% of inorganic and organic caking agents in terms of mechanical strength, and since the size is limited to millimeter unit or more.
As shown in Patent Publication 3, there is also a study on the catalyst having a grain shape that is usable in a flow bed type reaction facility. However, the proportion of the catalyst component existing in the grains becomes 50% or lower from the viewpoints of wear resistance and impact resistance. This is inferior to the pellet type of a fixed bed type of the mechanical strength adjustment. Furthermore, since the catalyst is deactivated in a short period of time, it is essential to regenerate the catalyst.